That's the only way I prove everyone wrong.
CHAPTER 11
DANNY
The lossto Arizona hurts like a junk punch.
We’re better than them. Everyone knows it. But tonight we played like shit. There were a lot of sloppy passes, stupid penalties, and defensive breakdowns that belong in a fucking beer league, not the NHL.
When the final buzzer blares at the end of the game, I stand at center ice watching their team celebrate like they just won the Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, our bench looks like someone died.
This is the kind of game that pisses everyone off for days.
In the locker room after, Coach keeps the end of game speech short. “It was a bad game. Shake it off. We’ll review tape tomorrow. Get some rest.”
The second he’s gone, stands up from the bench. “Let’s go get a drink. I need to forget that disaster.”
“It’s gonna take a hell of a lot more than one drink,” Jack says.
“I’m down,” Cam says, pulling out his phone. “I’ll tell Logan to meet us. That place at the marina?”
“Yeah,” Carter says. “Perfect.”
I’m pulling off my gear when Tate looks over. “You coming?”
“Yeah. Give me ten minutes. I’ll meet you there.”
I shower fast, change into jeans and a hoodie, and head out after them. The tunnel between the locker room and the parking garage is mostly empty. There are just a few staff members packing up equipment. A maintenance guy rounds the corner, pushing his cart toward the rink.
That’s when I see him.
Noah’s standing near the wall, tablet in hand, but he’s not looking at it. He’s staring at his phone with a tight jaw. Tension shadows his expression.
“Hey,” I say.
He looks up, and surprise flickers across his face before the professional mask slides back into place.
“Masterson. Tough game tonight.”
“Yeah. We played like shit.” I shift my bag to my other shoulder. “You here to make sure I don’t do anything stupid after?”
“What?” His brow furrows.
“The guys are hitting a bar. I figured maybe Marshall sent you to babysit again. Make sure I stay in line.”
“I wasn’t sent to Vancouver to babysit. I was sent to check on you.”
“Right. Check on me.” I lean against the wall. “So? Are you gonna be checking on me tonight too?”
“No.”
I can’t lie. My heart dips a little in my chest at that.
His phone buzzes. He glances at it, and that tension in his jaw gets worse.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Fine.” He types something quickly then shoves the phone in his pocket. “You should go. Your teammates are probably waiting.”
